


Learning Normal

by deliriyum



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Interactive Fiction, M/M, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-24 00:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6135232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliriyum/pseuds/deliriyum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>COOLSKELETON95</b> would like to add you as a contact.  Accept?</p><p>---</p><p>Interactive fic!  Reader input/commands begin chapter 2.</p><p><b>Next update</b>: 19 or 20 March 2016</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This guy really wants to be your friend, huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! Trying something kinda different out. Different for me, at least.
> 
> This fic will be interactive! Starting chapter 2, readers can give input/commands and help guide how the story progresses (to a certain extent). Each chapter will also include at least one lineart/template so that readers can draw in themselves or their OC! (And of course they'll be included in the next chapter, should you want it to be.)
> 
> Next chapter I'll have some rules/restrictions set up for how the command thing will generally go. In the meantime, you can throw questions and stuff my way on [my tumblr](http://sans-the-skelebae.tumblr.com) or in the comments. Your art can be submitted/linked through either method as well.

. 

COOLSKELETON95, memelord trashcan

wednesday, february 3rd, 2016

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

01:13 am

 

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

01:27 am

 

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

04:48 am

 

thursday, february 4th, 2016

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

03:03 am

 

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

06:11 am

 

saturday, february 6th, 2016

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

02:15 pm

 

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

01:38 pm

 

Hi memelord trashcan, I'd like to add you as a contact.

03:21 pm

 

memelord trashcan has shared contact details with COOLSKELETON95

so at first I thought this must be a bot account and was gonna block you

but I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen a bot send multiple contact requests

buuut I’m no expert on skyhoo bots either so

hi, hello, how are you, please convince me you are not actually a bot??

and if you are a bot please don’t give me malware this laptop is new  


03:23 pm

 

HUMAN!

HELLO!

THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO BE MY FRIEND!  


03:26 pm

 

you're not giving me much confidence in your no-bot-liness  


03:27 pm

 

HMMM...

AM I CORRECT IN ASSUMING THAT ‘BOT’ IS SHORT FOR ‘ROBOT’?

IF SO, THEN FEAR NOT, HUMAN! FOR I AM INDEED NOT A ‘BOT’!

NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH ‘BOTS’, I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW!!!

ONE OF MY DEAREST AND MOST TREASURED FRIENDS IS ONE!

HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY SELF-SELECTED HUMAN INTERNET MONIKER, I AM ASSUREDLY NOT ONE MYSELF.  


03:31 pm

 

so this is more of a nigerian prince deal then, right?

give you my bank info or wire two years of college tuition your way and you’ll repay me with riches you don’t quite have access to yet?  


03:33 pm

 

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

IS THIS SOME SORT OF HUMAN INTERNET JOKE THAT I HAVE YET TO BE ACQUAINTED WITH?  


03:37 pm

 

heh, yeah, kind of

don’t worry about it.

anyway, we’ve established you’re a real person now.

but one question remains.

who are you exactly and how did you get my contact info??

can’t recall giving it out recently  


03:40 pm

 

OH! FORGIVE ME FOR NOT CLARIFYING SOONER, NEW HUMAN FRIEND!

YOU SEE, I AM A NEW STUDENT AT EBOTT UNIVERSITY! I WAS PERUSING THE SCHOOL’S OFFICIAL PAGE ON ‘THE BOOK OF FACES’ AND I CAME ACROSS ANOTHER PAGE ENTITLED ‘EBOTT UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 2014’. IT IS THERE, IN A POST DEDICATED TO INTRODUCTIONS, THAT I FOUND YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.  


03:43 pm

 

what

that was posted like... 6 years ago now??

man you must’ve been scrolling forever to get to something that old  


03:45 pm

 

YOU CAN NEVER SPEND TOO MUCH TIME IN THE PURSUIT OF NEW FRIENDS!  


03:46 pm

 

so are you class of 2k14 too

did we have a class together or something  


03:47 pm

 

NO, I AM AFRAID NOT.

:-(

I SIMPLY SAW YOUR INTRODUCTION AND WAS IMPRESSED WITH YOUR MEME ABOUT “MOM’S SPAGHETTI”. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, “FANS OF SPAGHETTI SHOULD STICK TOGETHER! AND SINCE I, THE GREAT PAPY

AHEM. I MEAN. SINCE I, THE GREAT COOLSKELETON95, AM A MASTER OF THE SPAGHETTI, THIS HUMAN WILL BE OVERJOYED TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH ME!"

AM I NOT THE GREATEST FOR INITIATING THIS FRIENDSHIP??  


03:50 pm

 

oh god I did do that didn’t I

introduce myself with old, tired memes

ugh what was wrong with me  


03:51 pm

 

GASP

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU.

YOU ARE "MEMELORD TRASHCAN", AFTER ALL!

:-)  


03:53 pm

 

oh boy

you got me there, I guess  


03:54 pm

 

NYEH HEH HEH.

OF COURSE! THE PA

THE GREAT COOLSKELETON95 IS ALWAYS RIGHT!

ANYWAY!

IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL TO FINALLY SPEAK WITH YOU, NEW HUMAN FRIEND!

ALAS, I MUST GO FOR NOW SO THAT I CAN ATTEND MY NEXT CLASS.

I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU!

:-)  


03:57 pm

 

sure??

talk to you later I guess  


03:58 pm

 

;-)  


03:59 pm

  
  


COOLSKELETON95 has logged off

 

  
You blink several times at your computer, wondering what you just got yourself into.  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the template for this chapter. I've included it in .sai and .psd for your convenience.
> 
> [.sai](http://www.mediafire.com/download/t53t59503zq3uu3/prologue.sai)   
>  [.psd](http://www.mediafire.com/download/cz1r4o6f93vm0n7/prologue.psd)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a little about the reader is introduced. Hmm.
> 
> Not really happy with the template this chapter, but once things get rolling other non-template art will start to be included.
> 
> Commands/prompts will be accepted for... let's say 2 days to start. After that I will pick one or a couple to incorporate into the next chapter.
> 
> An information page regarding commands/prompts and any submitted art can be found [HERE](http://sans-the-skelebae.tumblr.com/learningnormal). Please give that a quick look if you'd like to participate!

Accepting that friend request had been like opening the floodgates to more socializing than you’d been prepared to face.  
  
In the past few days, COOLSKELETON95 had contacted you at least a dozen times and that was a _very_ low-ball estimate. The conversations were never very long. You got the feeling that he was either a very busy guy (was he a guy?) or he just couldn’t sit still long enough to talk for extended periods of time. If he was a college student as he claimed, both could very well be true.  
  
He was nice enough, sure. The conversations were easy and casual. They were just so frequent and, as stupid as it made you feel, even simple online interactions left you feeling drained of energy.  
  
Still, each time he greeted you with his now customary, “HELLO, NEW HUMAN FRIEND!” you couldn’t bring yourself to ignore him or turn him away. Somehow, the thought of simply blocking him as you might normally do made you feel guilty. You got the impression that he might be pretty lonely if he already seemed this invested in keeping near-constant contact with a stranger he found through an old Facebook post.  
  
Simply not logging into Skyhoo! wasn’t an option, either, as your handful of online jobs required you to stay available for clients, co-workers, and bosses. You resolved yourself to simply telling him that you had work to do and could he please let you have a few hours of non-contact to do so?  
  
(Ugh. You didn’t even really know the guy but the thought of it made you feel like you were disappointing him somehow.)

. 

COOLSKELETON95, memelord trashcan

wednesday, february 10th, 2016

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT HE IS STILL IN BED AT THIS HOUR?  
  
IF HIS OVERSLEEPING DIDN’T VEX ME SO, I COULD ALMOST SAY...  
  
THAT HIS ABILITY TO SLEEP SO MUCH AND STILL BE TIRED WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE!  
  
BUT DON’T TELL HIM I SAID THAT.

11:48 AM

 

 

  
eh I’ve slept in later before

and I don’t even remember who you were complaining about so no worries

11:56 am

 

 

I AM SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR POWERS OF OBSERVATION AND ATTENTIVENESS, NEW HUMAN FRIEND.  
  
:-( 

11:58 AM

 

 

  
oops

sorry about that

12:07 pm

 

 

YOUR RESPONSE TIME IS EVEN LONGER THAN USUAL.  
  
IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT? 

12:08 PM

 

 

  
yeah no I’m fine

I just

okay don’t be mad but I’m kind of trying to work here?? so

12:12 pm

 

 

GASP!  
  
YOU ARE AT WORK, YET YOU ARE STILL SLACKING AROUND ONLINE?  
  
>:-( 

12:08 PM

 

 

  
I kinda have to be on the computer for my job

I work online so

12:12 pm

 

 

OH NO.  
  
SO YOU HAVE NOT BEEN SLACKING.  
  
INSTEAD, IT IS I WHO HAVE BEEN DISTRACTING YOU FROM YOUR IMPORTANT WORK ALL THIS TIME??  
  
WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME SOONER, FRIEND?? 

12:14 PM

 

 

  
idk

but would it be alright if I didn’t talk for a while?

we’ve been talking a lot and I really need to get some work done

sorry :( ?

12:15 pm

 

 

OF COURSE!!  
  
IT WOULD BE VERY UNCOOL OF ME TO STAND IN THE WAY OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, AFTER ALL!  
  
AND I AM, OF COURSE, ACTUALLY VERY COOL. 

12:16 PM

 

 

  
phew

thanks

12:19 pm

 

 

HMM.  
  
IT IS ABOUT TIME I WAKE MY LAZYBONES BROTHER UP FOR LUNCH, ANYWAY.  
  
IN THE MEANTIME!  
  
PLEASE DO YOUR BEST AND WORK HARD, OKAY, HUMAN?  
  
I AM COUNTING ON YOU!! 

12:21 PM

 

 

  
yep

sure thing

12:24pm

 

 

IT IS SETTLED, THEN.  
  
I WILL SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN AFTER LUNCH!  
  
PLEASE DO NOT MISS MY PRESENCE TOO MUCH IN THE MEANTIME!  
  
NYEH HEH HEH 

12:25 PM

 

 

 

 

COOLSKELETEON95 has set their status to **AWAY**

Okay, you were kind of hoping for a little more time than that, but you’ll take what you can get. Why were you even worried that he’d be upset with you, anyway? (And why did it even matter if this internet stranger was mad? Ugh, you were too soft about silly things.)  
  
Several other chats popped up, begging for your attention. One from a co-worker from one job, another from a potential client for another job. On top of that, you had about half an hour before a scheduled video chat with your new boss from a third and final job.  
  
Narrowing your eyes at the digital clock in the corner of your screen, you wondered what you should address first. If either of the first two issues took too long, you wouldn’t have enough time to make yourself presentable for the video chat. You also knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to ignore either the co-worker (a particularly needy, irritating one) or the potential client (who could very well decide not to work with you if you didn’t response promptly enough.)  
  
Sighing to yourself, you turn to grab some needed paperwork from a shelf behind you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What sort of work DO you do online, anyway, reader? 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [chapter 1 psd](http://www.mediafire.com/download/3r87kf5z5z7mbi9/chapter1.psd)  
> [chapter 2 sai](http://www.mediafire.com/download/gv9ko93r2o5slzx/chapter1.sai)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm a little over a half hour late. Close enough?
> 
> Thanks to Mentally+Manic for the flash game/freelance suggestion and dreambot for the writer idea! (Though it was tweaked to the editor thing).
> 
> Next chapter will (finally) have in-person interaction and thus more than one image!
> 
> Also:
> 
> Comments:10 Kudos:45 Bookmarks:3 Hits:593
> 
> ?!? _how_
> 
> You guys are great.

With your work folders and various other papers now spread on your desk, you’re ready to begin.

You check the time. 12:27. You have 33 minutes to address your co-worker, potential client, and make yourself look presentable for your new boss. (And speaking of presentable, you made a mental note to change your display name on Skyhoo before the video chat began.)

First you fire off a quick message to your co-worker. You are both employees for a site that specializes in educational flash games and tutoring services. Just the sight of her name makes you frown in distaste. From the beginning she’s been just terrible to deal with; her habit of dumping some of her own workload on you is among the most irritating aspects of working with her. And speaking of her shirking her own responsibilities...

. 

Jennifer G, memelord trashcan

wednesday, february 10th, 2016

please please please tell me u published that new shapes game for the kid section  
  
it was supposed to be live yesterday

11:38 AM

  
  


no?  
  
I don’t even have the game files to upload it  
  
why would I publish the game? 

12:28 pm

  
  


what do u mean u don’t have the game files?  
  
about time u answered by the way

12:29 PM

  
  


why would *I* have the files to your game, Jen?  
  


12:30 pm

  
  


omg  
  
u said u would take care of this assignment for me days ago!  
  
are you saying u don’t even have a game to publish??  
  
omg

12:31 PM

  
  


Jen I never said I’d do any of your work for you  
  
you know I’m on the math rpg project for the young teen section  
  
I don’t have time to work on that *and* do your work for you 

12:33pm

  
  


u know I hate doing my assignments for the kid section :(

12:34 PM

  
  


why did you accept that assignment then? 

12:35pm

  
  


ugh it was either that or join that math game project with u  
  
and I hate math too :(

12:36 PM

  
  


you don’t have to like the subject to do the work Jen  
  
but anyway I’m sorry but  
  
I didn’t do your work for you  
  


12:37pm

  
  


omggg  
  
I’m going to be in deep shit now  
  
I can never count on you :(

12:38 PM

 

Jennifer G has set their status to **BUSY**

  
Of course she has to end the conversation by trying to make you feel guilty. The worst part is that it kind of worked a little, too, which was stupid. If she got in trouble for not meeting a deadline, it was her own fault. It isn’t your responsibility to do her work for her just because she didn’t feel like doing it herself.

You shake off the guilt as best as you can. No time to dwell on that now. You have 20 minutes or so now to talk to the potential client and get ready for the video chat.

Aside from the game site, you also work as a freelance editor. Most people that hire you are typically looking for a glorified grammar- and spell-checker. The potential client messaging you now is interested in quite a bit more, looking for help with his nearly-finished novel. You’re actually pretty excited about this opportunity. It’s certainly bound to be a lot more fun and interesting than the usual fare.

You speak with the man on a different messaging client for a while, listening as he describes his story and the concerns he has for it. He makes it clear that he’s already decided to hire your services, and after going over some specific details and negotiating pay, you agree to it. (There was no way you could say no to that many zeroes. You were already looking forward to the extra wiggle room this project was going to give you in the coming weeks.)

Feeling quite pleased, you check the time once more.

12:57.

Shit. Your new boss would be contacting you in just a few minutes. The conversation with that client took longer than you thought it would. Oh, boy.

Okay, no big deal. You didn’t look _too_ bad. Maybe your hair was a bit greasy, but that was nothing a hat couldn’t fix, right? Good thing your boss wouldn’t be able to smell you through the computer. As quickly as you can, you try to clean the portion of your room that will be visible from your camera, all the while mentally going over what you know about your boss.

So far you’ve only been in contact through email. You know that they are a monster, but their gender is up in the air. Their name hadn’t been much help in trying to figure it out. Monster names could be so strange compared to the typical human names you were familiar with. Then again, did it really matter what gender they were?

Besides that, you knew they were of the scientific persuasion and most certainly smarter than you would be able to wrap your own mind around. They’d have to be, since they were the current leading authority on research regarding souls and magic. You don’t get to a position and title like that without being some kind of genius.

It was so strange that they had hired you of all people (and through an online interview process, even). You didn’t have any professional background in the sciences, after all. Then again, the position you were hired for didn’t exactly necessitate it. One didn’t have to be well-versed in the sciences to be able to record data and do paperwork. Still, it was hard not to feel daunted by your boss’s prestige and the important nature of the research in question.

The fact that this would be your first in-person job in a long, long time probably didn’t help your nerves, either.

The sound of a chiming bell - notification that someone had messaged you - caught your attention. It was your new boss, right on time. You did your best to put on a friendly, easy-going face despite the way your stomach was clenched.

  


  


  


A small, yellow, scaled face appeared on your screen, a clawed hand raised in a wave as your face came into view on the other end.

“H-hey there!” your new boss, Alphys, greets you. She (based on the pitch of her voice) smiles, dark eyes shifting behind her glasses in a way that made her look as nervous as you felt. “It’s s-so nice to m-meet you! O-or, uh... I guess it w-would be b-better to say... see y-you?”

You return her greeting with a little wave at the camera. “It’s nice to see you, too!” you replied, voice raspy from disuse. You clear your throat as discreetly as possible.

“T-thank you for s-speaking with me today. I t-thought it would b-be a good idea to... g-get acquainted?” She seemed unsure of her own intentions. Or maybe that was just her nerves getting to her, too.

“That sounds great!” Oh, geez. Your voice just had to crack. Probably didn’t help that the false pep you were trying to speak with likely made you sound disingenuous. You hope not. The last thing you wanted was for Alphys to think you were mocking her or not grateful for being hired or... or, well, anything besides very thankful for the opportunity.

“O-okay. Well... I w-won’t keep you long. W-we’ll be meeting on M-monday, a-after all!” She tried to sound enthusiastic, but instead managed to sound even more nervous and unsure of herself.

(Did she usually sound like this or was she regretting that she hired you? What if you’d already made a bad impression? This had to be a bad sign. Way to screw things up already.)

“Y-yep!” you confirm, and after a pause in which you figure monosyllabic responses probably aren’t a good idea, continue, “9 AM sharp, right?”

Alphys doesn’t answer right away, and after a moment, you realize her attention seems to be focused on something a little lower on the screen. Another few moments pass and you start to feel concerned.

“Alphys? I mean - boss?”

“...‘memelord trashcan’?” she replies slowly, head tilting to the side quizzically as you freeze in your seat, eyes wide.

...you forgot to change your display name. Great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as you can see here, I can't draw Alphys to save my life. I'll have to practice more for the next chapter.
> 
> [psd](https://www.mediafire.com/?fvmkx9d4f5ajitj) | [sai](https://www.mediafire.com/?ym7g9dgzpdc6zjw)
> 
> Next chapter will be taking place on the Monday you start your work with Alphys, so let me know what you'd like to see happen for that. In the fic's timeline, it will be the day after Valentine's day (February 15th). As always, please send in suggestions/prompts/commands!
> 
> I'll give another two days to receive 'em, and then have the next chapter for either the 8th or the 9th.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans appears in like the last 100 words. That's all the time reader needs to make a fool of themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blaarghghaa. I don't have the pictures for this chapter done yet. :( I'm having difficulty with drawing Alphys consistently so that's probably why. Heh. I'll edit this beginning note once I have them finished and inserted into the chapter.
> 
> Thank you to dreambot and Mamuzelkc for their prompts/commands! Mamuzelkc, I didn't manage to get yours in this chapter, but it will be included the very next time that the reader speaks to Alphys through Skyhoo! And dreambot, the gift was included this chapter but... heh. The chapter kind of got away from me? Alphys will be opening the gift in the next chapter!

Today was a day of miracles, it seemed.

Not only had you managed to leave your apartment - something you’d only done a handful of times since moving in - but you now found yourself standing outside your new place of employment, too. And you hadn’t even passed out on the sidewalk from anxiety, even! Score.

Now if only you could work up the courage to actually enter the building.

It looked as intimidating as a building possibly could, all curved, shiny glass contrasting the sleek metal angles. Most buildings in this area of the city looked similar. They all belonged to various technology firms, laboratories, and high-end medical research facilities, for the most part. This area of the city wasn’t known as the science district for nothing.

Even the people that inhabited the area intimidated you. Everyone looked important or like they had important places to be, walking hurriedly in and out the front doors in everything from finely-tailored suits to well-worn lab coats sporting suspicious stains. One such person nearly flew by you into the building, not even sparing you a glance when they (accidentally?) rammed their shoulder into yours. His eyes were focused on a manila folder, mind far away and likely filled with formulas and scientific theories you could never begin to understand.

You suddenly felt very, very small... and completely and utterly out of place.

What had you even been thinking, applying for an offline job - especially one in an industry you had absolutely no experience or talent in? How you’d managed to be hired was a mystery, but you could already guess how things were going to go from this point.

You’d spend a few days bumbling around the job and making a mess of things. Even the simplest tasks assigned to you would end in disaster somehow. Co-workers would learn to avoid you, whispering among themselves as you passed.

‘How did this idiot get hired?’ or ‘I heard she’s already lost two folders full of important notes. This is going to set the project back by months! Can you believe it?’

Even Alphys, as good-natured and kind as she had seemed, would quickly become frustrated with your inadequacy. You’d lose the job and be sent packing. _Pathetic._

Or maybe you wouldn’t even make it through the first day. Maybe you’d mess something up so colossally in a few hours’ time that Alphys would immediately regret hiring you.

It felt as though something had a vice grip on your lungs. Breathing was steadily becoming an incredible effort, gasps of air escaping you between the sound of your heart beating painfully against your rib cage. Blood rushed through your head, muting out the busy sounds of the city. The work day hadn’t even begun and you were already such a mess. You’d already failed and you couldn’t breathe -

_you couldn’t fucking breathe and-_

Suddenly, you found yourself sprawled on the concrete from the impact of another body. Sounds and sensations outside your own mind came rushing back to you so quickly and startlingly that a soft sob escaped you.

“I’m s-so s-sorry,” a timid voice gasped somewhere to your right. They were scrambling to pick up what they had dropped and help do the same thing for your belongings, too. “D-did I hurt y-you? I-I’m so s-stupid. I-I’m late f-for a meeting and w-wasn’t--”

The voice stopped abruptly, and after a moment of trying desperately to compose yourself, you looked up.

“...Alphys?”

Sure enough, the person in front of you was the same yellow-scaled monster you’d video chatted with days ago. She seemed out of breath as she nodded, head tilted and glasses sitting askew on her... snout? Nose? Alphys said your name quietly, and you nodded in response, too, instantly feeling ashamed of yourself.

Your immediate response was to wipe at your eyes and do your best to not look like you’d been about to completely break down in the street. Just as quickly as the anxiety attack had started, you were squashing it all down and forcing yourself to feel numb to it.

The desire and ability to bottle up your feelings near instantly came too easily. Nobody needed to deal with your dysfunction but you. No sense in forcing it upon other people.

“A-are... you okay?” she asked, hesitant, after you were quiet for a few moments too long. An uneasy smile spread its way across your face and you forced a chuckle. You turned to the rest of your belongings, still spilled onto the ground.

“Y-yeah! I’m good. Just couldn’t figure out which building was the right one.”

The lie to cover up how you were feeling came a little too easily, too.

Alphys studied you for a few seconds before she gave you an uneasy smile of her own.

“W-well, I c-can show you if y-you’d like? It t-took me a w-while to t-tell these buildings a-apart, t-too,” she admitted, using her free hand to help gather some items that had rolled out of your reach. One such item was a hastily wrapped package tied together with a yellow ribbon. Alphys’ name was written on it in bold black marker. Seeing her holding it made you rush to explain yourself.

“O-oh! That’s for you! I, um, I thought that it was my first day I’d bring you a gift? Not like a bribe or anything or... Um, it’s meant as a thank you? Like, thank you for hiring me? I know I wasn’t the most qualified applicant and you probably could have found someone loads better, but you picked me anyway, and,” you paused, aware of the heat in your face and in the tips of your ears. Deep breaths. Slow down. You were probably freaking her out with your rambling. “Just... thank you?”

When you found the courage to look at Alphys again, she was smiling much more sincerely. You hadn’t realized that you’d been holding your breath, but the sight of her approval helped put you a little more at ease.

“You r-really didn’t have t-to get me a-anything,” she said quietly, holding the package close to her chest, “b-but... thank y-you so much! This is s-so thoughtful.” She stood slowly to her feet and helped you up as well.

As she led you into the building and through twisting hallways, you couldn’t help but feel intimidated again. Who knew what kind of fascinating research and important discoveries were happening in these rooms? You didn’t have time to dwell on that as you reached a rather plain-looking elevator.

“M-my lab is in an u-underground floor,” she explained as the doors slid open and the two of you stepped in. She frowned at the floor for a moment, then pressed the button reading **B2**. “B-because of the magic involved in w-what we’re researching, we n-needed a space that could be r-reinforced with concrete.”

She went on to explain a bit about how the meter-thick walls on her floor were embedded with a powerful magic that would prevent other stray magic frequencies from escaping the lab or interfering with research on the floors above. It all went way above your head and did little to help how inadequate you already felt here, but she seemed happy and less nervous now that she was in her element. You didn’t want to interrupt and ruin that for her, so you simply smiled and nodded along while the slow, clunky elevator descended.

Eventually, the doors slid back open to reveal a hallway as stark white and bare as the ones in the higher floors. The hall split in three directions: to the left, right, and straight forward. Alphys motioned to the left and right hallways first.

“To the l-left is the break r-room and the w-waiting room for when w-we eventually get test subjects. A-and to the right is m-my office and my colleagues offices,” she explained, tilting her head in the direction of each hallway as she mentioned them.

“And the lab itself is forward?”

She nodded and, looking pretty pleased, said, “I-it’s great! V-very state-of-the-art. Some of the most a-advanced equipment you c-can find on the surface! B-but for now, we should head t-to my office first.”

She then shuffled on, turning right at the junction of the three corridors. After passing two other doors - one of which had been cracked open and very tempting to peek into - she stopped at the last door in this branch of the hall. She fumbled around in her lab coat pocket for a few moments before pulling out a very full key ring. It took her several seconds to settle on the correct key - one with a bright yellow cap - before unlocking the door and stumbling in. She was quick to dump the folders and rolls of paper she’d been carrying onto her already-messy desk.

Alphys apologized for the mess and gestured for you to take a seat in front of the desk. While she quietly started opening desk drawers at random, you took the time to study her office. It was a lot different than what you might have imagined before.

You kind of expected the majority of the clutter. Nearly every surface was piled high with notebooks and loose paper or thick textbooks. Several coffee mugs sat forgotten here and there, too. It was obvious that Alphys took on a lot of work on her own and had definitely had quite a few late nights doing it.

What you didn’t expect was the shelf of anime figurines behind her desk and the anime posters along the back wall. There were so many of them that they overlapped one another. You didn’t recognize most of them, but you did spot a couple that you’d been practically obsessed with a few years back yourself.

For some reason, the sight of such a personal touch made you relax a great deal. The room itself seemed almost cozy in its state of disarray and was a welcome contrast to the sterility you’d seen in the rest of the building thus far.

“Aha!”

With a satisfied cry, Alphys practically slammed a folder in front of you, scattering a few papers in the process. The folder was a plain manila color but had the words _ASSISTANT PAPERWORK_ written across it in a scratchy, looping scrawl.

“S-sorry to have you a-already doing paperwork,” she said with a brief grimace, “but it’s i-important that we have a physical s-signature from you.”

She pushed the folder a little in your direction and opened it up to reveal a small stack of paper. With a single claw, she tapped on the first page.

“T-these top pages describe your j-job responsibilities. Y-you already know what t-they are, but....” She shrugged and you reached forward to grab the top papers in question. “The r-rest are your official work c-contract and various c-confidentiality agreements.”

She rattled off a few more details, but you were busy going over the top pages. The video chat had detailed exactly what you would be responsible for and what the research itself entailed, but it could never hurt to skim through to make sure you understood it all.

> _...assist in the live recording of data and transcription of audio records of previous experiments..._

> _...conduct preliminary interviews of test volunteers when such trials begin..._

> _...administrative duties associated with the scheduling of volunteer appointments..._

On the last of the pages you’d picked up - a condensed (and probably dumbed-down) version of the research proposal. You focused in on the beginning, which accurately summarized what you’d been told about the research being conducted.

> _It is historical fact that humans were once able to harness incredible magic. This ability waned and eventually disappeared after the implementation of the barrier at Mt. Ebott. However, there has been evidence to suggest that some humans might still be capable of using magic, either a) through their own Determination, or b) alternating measured exposure of the Soul to magic frequencies and periods of quarantine away from those same magic frequencies. Research will include what factors, if any, determine if a human is a viable Magical Candidate and how to strengthen or artificially create these factors in humans who aren’t natural Magical Candidates. Concerns include long-term effects on the human Soul, whether or not human Souls still retain the ability to reliably harness magic in practical situations, possible death after exposure to non-native magical frequencies-_

A loud knocking at Alphys’ office door interrupted both your reading and whatever Alphys had currently been explaining. If she’d noticed you weren’t paying attention, she didn’t say as she glanced from you to the door.

Before she even had a chance to invite the person inside, the door creaked open just enough for said person to poke their head in.

“hey, Al, did your new assistant show yet?”

You turned around in time to see the visitor shuffle into the room completely and shut the door behind him. He - you were guessing male based on his deep voice - immediately made eye contact with you, blinked, and grinned.

“guess they did. hey.”

It took you a few moments to process the fact that you were suddenly facing a skeleton in a lab coat, who had one hand shoved into a coat pocket and the other half-raised in a lazy wave. You shouldn’t be so surprised, considering that your boss, the monster on the other side of the desk, resembled a dinosaur.

Your staring must have lasted a beat too long, because the skeleton shifted in his spot, hastily shoving his hand into his other pocket. Noticing the awkward tension, Alphys finally cleared her throat a little and addressed you.

“T-this is one of my r-research partners and d-dear friends, Sans!”

_Say hello. Don’t say anything stupid._

“You’re a skeleton.”

_...damn it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some plot stuff is finally revealed. Hmm.
> 
> And you kind of get a glimpse as to why reader can seem kind of rude and dismissive-ish. Because bottling up your feelings and acting like a stoic robot of a person never, ever backfires on you, of course.
> 
> Please send in your suggestions/prompts/commands for the next chapter! Or ideas/prompts for future chapters in general! Or a signed contract relinquishing ownership of your Soul over to me! All are welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /puts on burgerpants mask
> 
> it's been a rough week for me, little buddies. sorry for the late chapters and for the lack of art again. dunno what's going on with my tablet but if I can't get it working again soon Imma have to somehow find a way to replace it.
> 
> also I waited an extra day hoping to get a prompt/command in but /looks at readers very sternly
> 
> ya'll were dinguses
> 
> (i'm kidding i love you all. thanks for even reading this.)

COOLSKELETON95, memelord trashcan

monday, february 15th, 2016

FRIEND! I SEE YOU ARE FINALLY ONLINE.

IS IT CORRECT TO ASSUME YOU HAD A FANTASTIC FIRST DAY AT YOUR NEW JOB?

06:13 Pm

 

something like that

if by fantastic you mean feeling like a doofus from the moment I arrived then yeah

06:15 Pm

 

I AM SURE YOU DID VERY WELL. I BELIEVE IN YOU!

06:16 Pm

 

heh. I doubt that

but thanks for the vote of confidence 

06:17 Pm

 

HM. WELL.

IF YOU DON’T MIND ME ASKING... WHAT HAPPENED TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE OTHERWISE??

06:19 Pm

 

Wow. Now there was a question with a lot of answers. Where to start? When you began to break down in front of the building? When you ended sprawled out on the concrete from the collision with Alphys? Or was it when you met Alphys’ coworker and promptly informed him that... Oh, geez, just recalling it still brought a flush of shame to your cheeks.

* * *

“You’re a skeleton.”

He stayed frozen in spot for a few awkward moments, then chuckled. Was he offended? Was he laughing at you? Or with you? Damn it. You could never tell the difference between the two.

“yeah. guess I am,” he said, patting around his torso like it was the first time he’d ever seen himself. “ _no bones about it._ ”

Behind you, Alphys groaned a little. But you smiled at him slightly, hoping his joke meant he wasn’t upset by your callousness.

“A-anyway, Sans, this i-is-”

“i know who they are.” And now his eyes were settled on you again, as if studying you. “helped pick ‘em out for you, remember?”

Oh, geez. Now you had to worry about disappointing two people? And you’d had such bad first impressions with both of them already and-

You must have looked outwardly panicked or upset with your line of thinking, because Sans raised both of his oddly smooth palms toward you in a placating gesture.

“hey. relax. you got nothin’ to worry about from me, okay?”

You took a deep breath and nodded, trying your best to look more calm and relaxed. No way you could make yourself _feel_ relaxed, but you could definitely try to look that way.

“Alphys, though... definitely gotta keep an eye on her.”

“Sans!”

He shrugged nonchalantly as he backed up toward the door, slipping out of the room with little fanfare. But not before leaving you with one last piece of advice.

“seriously, don’t let your guard down. she can be a real _monster_ of a boss or so i’m told.”

“S-sans, please.”

Quick as he came, he was gone. You couldn’t help but feel like he left so quickly because of you, but realistically you had no idea if that were true. Weren’t you just thinking that everyone in the science district looked so busy and important? He probably had a lot of science stuff to get started on. Because that’s what he did for a living. Science stuff. Yes.

Hopefully that was a mental groan you just did and not a real one.

When you turned back to Alphys, she seemed even more flustered than was normal for her, one clawed hand pressed over an eye and face flushed a deeper, golden yellow.

“I’m n-not...W-well, I _am_ a m-monster, but-”

She seemed awfully upset with the implication of how she was as a boss. Even with how stressed and unsure you were currently feeling, you couldn’t help but want to ease those same feelings in her. You’d known her for such a short period of time, but so far Alphys had been nothing but kind and sweet to you. It didn’t feel right to let her stand there and stew in whatever it was she was currently feeling.

“Hey, it’s... um, it’s okay? I know he was just joking. I wouldn’t, uh, take a warning like that about you seriously. Because you seem really nice and cool and stuff so far. Yeah.”

Oh, geez, that was a mess. So _eloquently put_. Still, it seemed to do the job. Alphys looked a little more at ease, now, and not like she thought you were going to go running from the room.

“T-thank you,” she sighed, tapping her claws together in a nervous gesture you were all too familiar with yourself. She glanced at the closed door and made her way back to her own seat. “S-sans is... He like t-to tease. A-and don’t worry t-too much about, um, what you said? The s-skeleton line? He, um, k-kinda gets reactions like t-that a lot... from humans....”

That definitely did not make you feel better. Like, at all. You’d definitely have to make up for your reaction somehow.

If Alphys caught the grimace that flashed across your face, she didn’t mention it. A few silent moments passed between the two of you, both of you lost in your own thoughts, before Alphys cleared her throat. Suddenly, the gift you’d prepared for her was sitting on the desk between you.

“Is it okay i-if I...?”

“Oh, yeah! Yeah, it’s for you! Open it any time you’d like!” you responded, eager to move onto a different subject. You must’ve been a little too loud, because Alphys jumped in her seat a little when you leaned forward. Oops. You cleared your throat and sat back in your seat. “I mean, go ahead. It’s not... It’s not anything great or cool or anything, but....”

“I-i’m sure it’s...” She had the wrapping off already, having made quick work of it with her claws. “Oh!”

She was looking at the contents of your gift with what seemed to be some measure of adoration. Gently, she scooped it up into her hands and studied it for a moment before looking up at you. She had the sincerest smile you’d seen on her face yet. And it was directed at you.

“L-like I said, it’s not a lot, but....”

“T-this is... thank you!” she said over you, voice wavering in emotion. If there wasn’t a desk between you, she’d definitely be hugging you right now. As it was, she settled for hugging the keychain you’d bought to her chest. “H-how did you know that I...?”

Now she let the keychain hang from her clenched fist, head tilted slightly as she watched it spin slowly in her grasp. On the end of the small chain was a catgirl character cast in a matte acrylic. You’d forgotten the girl’s name already, but it was the main character in an older show you could vaguely recall being popular when you were in middle school.

“Um, well, after our video chat last week, I kinda... just looked at your skyhoo profile?? And the email you signed up with was ‘ _kissycutiealphyschan_ ’, so....”

Yeah, that definitely sounded really creepy said out loud. Always a good idea to admit that you’d been snooping around your boss’ online profiles, right?

Alphys looked a little embarrassed at your discovery, but she was studying the keychain again with so much awe it was obvious she didn’t care _too_ much.

“T-this is even... This is Mew Mew’s special d-design from the reunion OVA!”

She just looked so happy and pleased, looking up from the keychain to you. Since when did anyone look at you with such positive emotion? And over something so small?

“Yeah, it... I thought it was the cutest one? Out of what the store had available.” You looked away from her, feeling an odd mix of embarrassed, pleased with yourself, and feeling undeserving of her reaction.

Alphys took a few more seconds to turn the keychain over in her hands. When you finally looked back up, she was clipping it onto her phone, practically glowing and looking more at ease than you’d ever seen her.

The thought that you always wanted to see your friend so happy and at ease was a sudden, confusing one. You’d just met her! You couldn’t even really call her a friend yet, could you? And she was your _boss_ so wouldn’t that get in the way of any friendship? And-

“Well! We should probably get this paperwork out of the way now, yes?” Alphys clapped her hands together, not a single stutter in her statement to be found. Had your silly little gift really been enough to make her so happy, so calm?

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to refer to her as your friend already, if only in your head.

* * *

There was more paperwork and reading than you had anticipated. With just a little over an hour of work left for the day, Alphys introduced you to your work area and allowed you to settle in a bit.

Since part of your job involved administrative duties, your desk was located down the left corridor in what would eventually be the waiting room for experiment trials. Part of the room was sectioned off with a half wall, your desk placed just behind it. The farthest wall, the one at your back when you sat down, was lined with metal filing cabinets and a copy machine. A few of the cabinets were empty, but several were stuffed full of unorganized paperwork that Alphys eyed guiltily.

“This is your first day, so I don’t expect you to help me in the lab just yet.”

“Tomorrow, then?”

Alphys raised her eyebrows, surprised. “W-well, if you want to... but I figured we would ease you into that after a few days? A-after we introduced you to the equipment and other things.”

You paused your step and turned away from the drawer of haphazard folders and loose paper. “Oh. Yeah. That’s... probably a good idea. To teach me what I need to do. Before, um, letting me jump into it. And probably break everything in sight.”

“hope you don’t mind, but you’ll probably be stuck with me for a while, too.”

Both you and Alphys jumped at the sudden appearance of a third, familiar voice. You had a feeling this was going to be a recurring thing.

“S-sans!” Alphys squeaked, holding a hand to her chest.

“alphys!” The medium-pitched falsetto he said her name with was not very flattering. And also kind of asshole-ish. Was he having a bad day or what? He didn’t seem this rude earlier.

“D-do you always have to sneak up like t-that?” your boss scolded, not sounding very intimidating but trying her best all the same.

“was i sneaking?” Sans shrugged. “anyway, I thought I’d be startin’ the whole trainin’ thing earlier.”

“I-I was going t-to tell her earlier, but – I-I mean I was _about_ to tell her....” Alphys trailed off, turning back to you and looking as unsure and meek as she had earlier that morning.

The two of you had been making such good progress. She’d barely stuttered at all since the gift was opened, and she’d become more comfortable and confident around you as the hours passed. Something about that had, in turn, been making you feel more comfortable, too. And a little proud of yourself, if you were honest. How your awkward bumbling had such a positive effect on her, you didn’t know, but it felt nice to be a positive influence for once.

But now her nerves were back in full force, and subsequently you were suddenly feeling nervous again as well. Sans seemed to have that effect on her for some reason, despite the fact that they worked together and had probably known each other for a long time.

A part of you was saying that you needed to be protective of Alphys, the precious cinnamon role that she was. Another part of you, the little voice in your head, was saying you were silly for getting so attached in a matter of hours. _This is how you end up getting yourself hurt,_ it said. _And how condescending are you, acting like she’s a child that needs protected? From her own co-worker, no less?_

Still... for someone that was supposed to be her friend and colleague.... So far Sans had done nothing but make Alphys seem on edge and tease her in a way that legitimately upset her. Or maybe it wasn’t as bad as you were making it out to be and your sudden protective streak was only making things seem bad. That’s a definite possibility, as you did tend to see the worst in others when the mood suited you. Definitely a habit that you had to break, for sure.

But the part of you that was suddenly feeling protective of your new ~~boss~~ ~~friend~~ bossfriend - the part that was saying, _”No, this skeleton really is just being a dick right now attack attack attack”_ \- is the part of you that spoke up.

Except, as is often the case with you, what you meant to say and what actually came out of your mouth were two completely different things.

What you meant to say was, “Hey, that’s what we’re here for now, buddy. Just give us some time, okay? No need to be a dick about it.”

What came out was more of a stuttering, “Y-you’re a skeleton dick!”

And Alphys had laughed so hard she _snorted_ and all at once you realized that yes, you had been reading the situation wrong, and yes, you had screwed up in the exact same way twice that day. You definitely weren’t giving Sans a great impression of you. At this point the only thing left to do was never, ever open your mouth in his presence ever again. That should fix things.

“huh. well, that’s a step up from just bein’ a plain ol’ skeleton, I guess?” Sans shrugged again. “ah, well. we’ll just have to start your training tomorrow.”

With that, he was backing out of the room and leaving you and Alphys alone once again. She was doing her best to be polite, hiding her giggles behind her hands. You couldn’t blame her for finding humor in the situation. At least she was smiling again, even if it was at your expense.

* * *

i should probably like

never ever speak out loud again

i have this feeling that I’m going to keep putting my foot in my mouth like that around him

ugh 

06:56 Pm

 

YES. THAT IS A RATHER  
¬_¬ UNFORTUNATE THING THAT YOU SAID.  
BUT I AM SURE THAT YOUR BOSSFRIEND KNEW YOU ONLY MEANT WELL!  
IT SEEMS THAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO BEING GREAT FRIENDS!  
JUST LIKE US!!

06:58 Pm

 

you think so?  
she is my boss  
you don’t think it’s weird for us to be friends too? not that we are yet  
i don’t want to assume anything about how she’s feeling or what she thinks of me  


07:01 Pm

 

YOU WORRY TOO MUCH, FRIEND.  
I, THE GREAT COOLSKELETON95, AM ABSOLUTEY POSITIVE THAT YOUR BOSSFRIEND...  
WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO BE YOUR REGULAR FRIEND, TOO.  
AND DO NOT WORRY ABOUT HER SKELETON CO-WORKER!  
WHO I AM ALSO POSITIVE WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR FRIEND!  
¬_¬ HE DEFINITELY NEEDS MORE HUMAN FRIENDS AND...

YOU ARE THE PERFECT HUMAN!! TO FILL THE HUMAN FRIEND-SHAPED HOLE IN HIS SOUL!!

07:03 Pm

 

well uh  
one step at a time  
don’t know how keen he’d be on making nice with me since I  
you know  
called him a dick and reacted so weirdly to his... monster-ness  


07:04 Pm

 

PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY I DOUBT HE REALLY CARED, FRIEND.  
BESIDES ¬_¬  
HE IS PROBABLY GRATEFUL THAT HE HAD EXTRA TIME TO BOONDOGGLE AND NAP AT HIS DESK WHILE YOU WERE WITH ALPHYS, THAT LAZYBONES!!  


07:05 Pm

 

heh  
you talk like you know the guy

07:06 Pm

 

UM.  
NO?  


07:06 Pm

 

now that I think about it  
you knew my boss’ name and I don’t think I ever told you??  
what’s going on here bud  


07:07 Pm

 

OH, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME.  
IT IS TIME FOR ME TO GO. I HAVE A LOT OF  
UM.  
COOL GUY THINGS TO DO.  
YES.  
FAREWELLTALKTOYOULATERHAVEAGOODNIGHTFRIENDBYE  


07:07 Pm

 

  


COOLSKELETON95 has logged off

 

Well, here’s a mystery you never asked to have thrown at you. Hmm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE READER CHARACTER IS A DOOFUS PASS IT ON.
> 
> if the reader's actions and thoughts seem all over the place to you, know that there is a reason!!
> 
> and if you see that they're all over the place and already know/understand why then you probably already realize what that reason is
> 
> at least I hope I'm writing it well enough that there might be people who realize/understand?? hmm.
> 
> anyway. I hope you like Alphys cause reader has a huge platonic friendcrush on her now oops. they can bond over how much they stutter and shake when they're nervous. the stuff of true friendship, you know.


End file.
